PLT DEPARTED PVT STRIP IFR INTO CANADIAN AIRSPACE AND IS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ATC.

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JUN/XA/99 DEPARTED PVT STRIP 24 NM N OF COLVILLE; WA. SMA ON A 'VOID IF NOT AIRBORNE BY' IFR FLT PLAN XX00/XX20 DEP; INSTRUCTED TO BEGIN CALLING ZSE THROUGH 5000 FT; CLRNC WAS DIRECT TO KELOWNA; BC (CANADA); AT 12000 FT. WX SCATTERED TO BROKEN; 5000-8000 FT FIRST PART OF FLT; THEN VFR BELOW 14000-15000 FT LATER PART OF FLT (OBSERVED CONDITIONS). I BEGAN TRYING TO CONTACT CTR AT 5000 FT ON 126.1 AS FILED. ALTHOUGH I COULD HEAR OTHER TFC TALKING TO CTR; I COULD NOT HEAR CTR AT ALL UNTIL LEVEL AT 12000 FT THEN I COULD BARELY HEAR THEM; BUT THEY APPARENTLY COULDN'T HEAR MY CALL. BY NOW; I HAD CROSSED THE BORDER INTO CANADA AND WORRIED ABOUT BEING IN CANADA WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT. THE WX WAS VFR WITH NO TFC IN THE AREA. I CIRCLED THE PLANE UP TO 13000 FT IN AN ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT. NO LUCK; AND I RETURNED TO 12000 FT AFTER APPROX 1 MIN. I WAS THEN ABLE TO CONTACT ZSE VIA ANOTHER ACFT AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT VANCOUVER CTR. I DID SO; AND THEY HEARD ME CLRLY. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. EVENTS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS DEV: 1) POOR RADIO COVERAGE BY CTR IN THIS AREA (I HAVE NEW RADIOS.) 2) MY WORRY ABOUT BEING IN CANADA WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT (I WASN'T SURE ABOUT CLRNCS IN BTWN THE UNITED STATED AND CANADA). 3) VFR ENRTE WITHOUT DANGER OF COLLISION; IE; NO SEPARATION PROBS.